Sunderland Sporting Director Kristjaan Speakman is watching the Sky Bet Championship match between Sunderland and Swansea City at the Stadium Of Light in Sunderland, on February 24, 2024. (Photo by MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Sunderland are ‘highly unlikely’ to appoint 42-year-old manager who wants the job
Sunderland are ‘highly unlikely’ to reignite their interest in one out-of-work manager this summer.
Sunderland sacked Michael Beale only 12 games into his tenure last week, having lost half of those since December.
Instead of appointing their third manager this season, the club instead announced that Mike Dodds would take charge until the summer, giving them months to find the ideal permanent replacement.
After reportedly holding talks with Will Still before Christmas, there have been plenty of rumours claiming that the Black Cats will go back in for the Reims coach at the end of the season.
Potentially the most eye-catching name that has been linked – and not for the right reasons – is Alex Neil.
It was reported yesterday that the 42-year-old is ‘open’ to a return to Wearside following his sacking from Stoke City.
Neil left Sunderland in frustrating fashion, having won promotion to the Championship just months earlier. The coach criticised the club before abandoning them to join the Potters, though his stint there was far from successful.
Many fans have let their feelings know about a potential return for Neil, with most wanting him to stay as far away from the club as possible.
Former midfielder Carlton Palmer has now claimed that it is ‘highly unlikely’ that the Black Cats will go back in for Neil after all the trouble he caused in 2022.
Speaking to Football League World, he said: “Neil led Sunderland out of League One through the play-offs and was doing very, very well at Sunderland before walking out to take the Stoke job and in doing so he criticised the way that the club was run and the transfer situation with the hierarchy.
“So, that’s not going to change, and I think the way that he left the football club was not in a good way and then his comments.
“So, I think it’s highly unlikely that Sunderland will revisit the Alex Neil situation, and again, I thought at the time, you know, I do rate Alex Neil as a manager, and he’s done very, very well at previous clubs, but it’s surprising how many times, when you, do walk out, and I understand his reasoning for doing so because obviously Tony Mowbray had the same problems with Sunderland, also he took over and got them in the Championship play-offs.
